Personal Development: Bridging The Gap

Published
August 20th, 2014

College can be the best years of our lives. We learn a lot about our chosen subject, the world and ourselves. However when it comes to career development, a lot of us leave college and question ‘now what?’. We fail to see an immediate connection with our degrees and starting our careers, and maybe feel we lack the necessary skills to tune ourselves into an employable graduate. With our Internship Placement Program we help to bridge that gap, by investing in personal development skills tutorials for our Hopper Interns. Here is a taster…

1. Success Story Seminars“Believe you can and you’re halfway there’’ was one of President Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite quotes. Most of what holds us back is ourselves. As part of Hop The Pond’s ‘Success Story Seminars’ you will hear from people who’ve built successful careers and in whom there is a strong self-belief. These people will be from different industries within Chicago, and the concept is to educate Hopper Interns on the keys to their success in their chosen industry.

2. Selling YourselfOne thing many students and graduates fall down on is selling themselves to employers, both in an interview and via their résumés. At Hop The Pond, they will help you to communicate your newly developed skill-set to your potential employer in three different ways:

A) Firstly, they will help you to edit and format your résumé to include your internship experience and make it appealing to potential employers B) Secondly, they will set up a LinkedIn page if you have not already done so and make the necessary connections to get your career off the ground. C) Finally, they will conduct a mock interview with you at the end of your term, and give you constructive feedback on how to successfully conduct an interview with confidence.

3. Time Management & Basic OrganizationEver spent a full day “studying” and sat at the end of the day and thought ‘I’ve learned nothing!’ With this tutorial Hop The Pond aim to make you more efficient with your time. By becoming more goal-oriented we can teach you micro-management and provide you with the skills to become as productive as possible. This involves using technology as an aid, rather than an obstacle to getting things done, as well as utilizing simple hints & tips to allow you to prioritize and optimize your workload.

4. NetworkingThey often say that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Well, that’s not fully right but there is some truth in it. Another aspect essential to securing employment, is presentation and interpersonal relations. Almost all jobs require some level of interpersonal activity, and for many it’s at the heart of the job. Through networking events Hop The Pond will give you real exposure to meeting new people, sparking a conversation and developing contacts, a skill necessary to take your career to the next level.

5. Presentations & Public SpeakingAnother skill that many of us fail to develop in college is the ability to speak with confidence in front of a room full of people. By developing the confidence to speak in public, do a presentation while maintaining and engaging the attention of the audience, one becomes a valuable asset to many employers who value people who are confident and comfortable conducting presentations. Hop The Pond offers Hopper Interns the opportunity to gain such experience through their personal development seminars.

So you want to fill that gap between college graduate and employee of the month? Do you see yourself as a graduate or as a potential employee? Sign up with us today, furnish yourself with new skills key to securing employment and use Hop The Pond as the launch-pad for your career!